Building Features

Sustainable Building Features

With a number of the earlier members of Prairie Spruce Commons committed to living “lightly on the earth,” it became our mission to exceed Saskatchewan’s building standards and build a green building. Prairie Spruce is leading the way to becoming Regina’s most sustainably built condominium development. It is our hope that it will be an example for others to learn from and follow.

Abundant Natural Lighting – Large windows, Juliette balconies, nine-foot interior walls, and vaulted ceilings allow nature light to flow deep into the building. This optimizes the ambiance in community-shared spaces as well as individual private units while reducing the use and expense of electrical lights during daylight hours.

Quality Wall Surfaces – An added layer of gypsum board to interior walls will add thermal mass, sound insulation, and fire resistance, thus creating a safer, more pleasant living space that is cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

High-Grade Efficient Windows – Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), triple-glazed low-E windows prevent heat from entering the home during the summer and escaping the home during the winter. This reduces energy use and keeps the building more comfortable to live in.

DeeperWallFraming – Deeper outside wall cavities achieve R-values of 40 in the walls, and thicker insulation achieves R values of 60 in the ceilings. Framing and insulating practices reduce thermal bridging from structural elements and at the corners, keeping heat in during the winter and out during the summer.

EfficientIrrigationSystems – Rain water will be collected and used for watering the garden. Systems will include low flow nozzles and water sensors.

Solar Generating Power – Roof top photovoltaics will be installation ready. In the future, solar panels will be installed to capture most of the sunlight over the course of the day and turn it into electricity to be used in the building.